TERMINAL GODS: ‘Lessons In Fire.’
TERMINAL GODS are a four-piece London band with a sort of ‘post industrial’ / Eighties retro sound. They formed back in the summer of 2011, but quickly established a loyal following and attracted lots of positive media attention for the release of their debut single ‘Electric Eyes,’ which was of course featured here on LOUD HORIZON.
Clad in black leather jackets and emoting a dark and slightly threatening attitude, their music does reflect bygone days, but at the same time has a very ‘current’ edge to it.
Their new single, released in both 7″ vinyl and digital formats, is ‘Lessons in Fire,‘ and most definitely confirms the band’s stature as ‘ones to watch’ in 2013. The video for the track is shown below .. as indeed the video for the single’s B-side, ‘The Card Player.’
(Now, that’s one pretty damned organised band for you!)
And just for the record .. if I were marking the A-side out of ten? Nine …. yeah …. nine.
TERMINAL GODS: ‘Electric Eyes’
This one comes courtesy of Andy Oxley, who directed the following video for Screen 3 Productions, and whose own bands have in the past featured on both this blog and received mentions in ARTROCKER MAGAZINE.
In his words, Andy ‘stumbled upon’ TERMINAL GODS a while back and has become a big fan. Here is a band that are quite unashamedly ‘Eighties’ in their style and delivery, but don’t seem to give a tu’penny f… about current ‘trends’ and fickle populist styles!
Drum machines, smoke machines, guitars and good old Gothy styled Rock and effin’ Roll, man!
‘Electric Eyes‘ is available now and can be bought in 7″ vinyl format from TERMINAL GODS website.
CONCUBINES: ‘Darkness.’
Merging their love for 60s psych, soul music, 80s post punk, 70sMOR and NYC street punk, the trio that are CONCUBINES have produced a dramatic and vibrant alternative music which they term, ‘indie soul.’
It still sounds pretty much like dark, early Eighties style music to me, though. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s not at all. It’s pretty damn fine.
It reminds me very much of ……. of …. you know ‘Darkness’ sounds so familiar, but I just can’t place it. It’s bugging me real bad! (Anybody have an idea? I’m thinking along the lines of Fiction Factory and the like, maybe?)
The deep vocals paint a gloomy picture that matches the song title, while the steady, metronomic beat pounds your brain as the synth provides a catchy hook. You get the feeling of desolation, but strangely feel a bit uplifted at the same time!
‘Warp’ is a bit more on the bouncy and danceable side. Perhaps my imagination has been fired by too many bottles of Tsingtao, but the instrumental breaks make me think of Doctor Who on speed. Elsewhere, the vocals are again redolent of early Eighties dark-wave as we probably know it now. The guitars chime in and out, the cymbals crash and for me, this is the stronger track. Love this one!
(Released through Howling Owl by way of a 100 limited edition vinyl format, it will be available via Rough Trade Records in addition to through the normal national digital outlets.)
(8.5/10)
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ZOUNDS: ‘The Redemption Of Zounds.’
Thirty years after they first came to prominence in the London underground punk scene Zounds return with ‘The Redemption of Zounds‘. It is an album of 80’s style anarchic punk that beggars the question, is punk still relevant and is anarchy still cool?
Going by this offering my response would have to be no. The vocals are out of time and droned. The instrumental is drab and not particularly catchy. The melody plays out at a lazy pace and is altogether un inspiring.
Punk has had its day in the sun, regurgitating the past with no evolution is always bad news. When punk guru John Lyndon himself decided to sell his morals and his dignity to the ‘Man’ and advertise butter you know glory days are long gone.
‘The Redemption of Zounds’ is a nostalgic punk album that is well passed its prime. I can’t see the target demographic being anyone other than those who appreciated the band 30 years ago. It certainly isn’t for me.
(Available now)
(4/10)
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